Pino’s pizza finds new home

By Jake Spitzack | Staff Writer | September 2025

After 37 years of serving hungry lunchtime diners in the skyway, Pino’s Pizzeria owner Pino Lipari got an unsettling letter this spring saying the building his restaurant operated in was being condemned and the power would be turned off in just five days. St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter sprung to action, and the city purchased three weeks of electricity from District Energy to give the displaced businesses of the Alliance Bank building some breathing room to plan their next moves.

Lipari originally had his eye on another skyway space but when the opportunity arose to get a corner suite on the 7th Place pedestrian mall, he decided it was time to take a chance and let the business spread its wings beyond the skyway. It took eight men to heave the restaurant’s 2,000-pound oven from its longtime home, weave it through the skyways and across street to its new location. The restaurant officially reopened in late July at 1 W. 7th Place. It was a bittersweet move for Lipari, who literally grew up in that skyway space.

“I got off that elevator in Alliance every day since I was a kid, so yeah, I was born into the pizza business,” he said. “The secret to my life is I’m continuously trusting God and I always stay calm, but that week [after the letter] I was for sure very nervous…. It worked out for the better. That’s why I tell people when one door closes and it appears negative, just wait before you have a pity party because some doors that look negative turn the key to open positive doors and this is exactly one of those situations.”

Lipari said the restaurant’s diehard skyway customers have continued to patronize his business. He’s also seen waves of new customers, as the ground level corner suite is located near some popular downtown attractions, including Palace Theatre, Park Square Theatre and the Children’s Museum. Overall, he said the first month of operation has been great and that the lunch rush is still pushing the line out the door, which is welcome news because the new space is three times the size of his old one. The 3,000-square-foot eatery can seat about 55 inside and 20 on the patio and had a complete cosmetic makeover prior to reopening. It was formerly home to Afro Deli, which moved across the street in late June.

People can enjoy pizza by the slice or full pies, and everything is made from scratch daily – a commitment made clear by the restaurant not having a freezer. Inside is a 13-foot-long display case that can fit eight hand-tossed pizzas. All the traditional types of pizzas are available, as well as specialties such as crazy buffalo chicken, chicken alfredo, chicken bacon ranch and Hawaiian. A few new options are expected soon, as well as meatball subs and cannoli. The pizzeria expects to offer Doordash delivery in the next few months.

Lipari is loyal to his suppliers, using the same ingredients from the same Minnesota-based vendors as when the restaurant first opened, and he’s adamant that will never change. The restaurant’s slogan is “We take something simple, and we do it at the highest level.”

Lipari’s parents are immigrants from the city of Palmero on the island of Sicily in Italy. They met and married in Minnesota. His father Pino, Sr., founded the downtown restaurant and still works there every day. An uncle operates a branch of the pizzeria in Woodbury, and a cousin runs Nino’s Pizza in Maplewood. There’s also a branch in White Bear Lake. Lipari mentioned that he has two young daughters who could keep the oven fires burning for another generation. Hours are 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday.